Murim Recurve

"Come in, father." The man said as his wife was surprised. Soon, their door was pushed aside as an Elder entered, expressing anger on his face. The moment he saw the thirteen people, his third eye opened before it began to bleed a little as he clutched it in pain. His expression was bloodshot, in disbelief and unbelievable fury.

He looked at his son, "What have you done? How long has this been going along?"

The man pointed at a Harmoniser, "For around three decades. When I captured them, they were barely 5-6 years old."

He then sighed, "It hasn't been long since I sensed something, father. I just realised now that what I had done is wrong and had rounded them up to apologise."

"You sensed…it?" The Elder looked at the man through his third eye before tearing up, "Why…why did you have to do this? You were close, really close to becoming a Martial Master. Dammit, why?"

"You should know the reason very well, father." The man looked at the Elder, "After all, you were a Clan Head once too."

"Right, the abilities of the Four Great Clans are incredibly helpful in protecting our Clan. I too had the same thought when I was the Clan Head." The Elder sighed, "But, I never went with that plan."

"By the time you became a Clan Head, you could already sense some things through your third eye, since your talent has been the highest in our Clan to date. So, you knew what to do. And…" The man sighed, "You became a Martial Master too soon, leaving a younger me in charge. I never had an idea back then, so when a chance presented itself, I jumped at it. Heck, I only realised my fault today."

The Elder sighed as he wiped his tears, "Then, you must be prepared for what is to come next."

"I am," The man nodded. Just basing on their conversation, the lady already understood the context of the situation. She sighed once, resigning herself to her fate.

Finally, the man let out a helpless sigh as he looked at the Elder, "Father, since I'm about to die, can you tell me the complete reason? I haven't enlightened myself to that extent yet. At least, consider this my last wish."

"Fine, this information won't be leaving these walls anyway," The Elder sighed, "The four Great Clans are honoured with the title 'Great', but in reality, they are the most pitiful Clans following the Royal Clan."

"Pitiful?" The eyes of everyone in the place widened.

"Yes, pitiful is the right term." The Elder nodded, "In the Harmoniser Realm, once you awaken your third eye, you'll obtain access to Kalki Qi and would be called a Martial Master. But in essence, you are still a Harmoniser. A Martial Master is just a completed version of a Harmoniser. After all, being in harmony is related to both the nature and oneself. A Harmoniser develops harmony with nature while a Martial Master develops harmony with oneself and fellow people of our race. So in essence, they are just a Harmoniser."

"And beyond the Harmoniser Realm exists two Realms, called the Celestial King and the Celestial Emperor." The Elder said, "There are dozens of Celestial Kings in our country, and standing at the absolute peak is our Fourth Celestial Emperor. But, just like how we have to be initiated into a Harmoniser, the same is required for a Celestial King and even a Celestial Emperor. But the conditions are stricter, and the requirements are harsher."

"Forget about the conditions, since only Elders know about them." The Elder said, "But, the reason I called the Royal Clan and the Four Great Clans pitiful is because of the restrictions that accompany these Realms."

"You need a certain item to become a Celestial King. The case is the same to become a Celestial Emperor. Only by consuming it would one break past the shackles of a mortal and become a Celestial. But," The Elder shed tears once again, "This item absorbs the Racial Qi of the race that had absorbed it and would continue to absorb it from the land it takes effect upon. The item of a Celestial King is called a Bhumic Crystal, and the one for the Celestial Emperor is called the Akashic Crystal."

"These crystals have been created by the world during its inception and have been claimed one after another by the sentient races of the world. This is where the restriction arrives," He spoke with bated breath, "Remember that eight centuries ago, our race was ruled by the Treka. So to speak, we never had any Celestial Kings, not to mention a Celestial Emperor."

Even though he knew they were ruled by the Treka long ago, hearing the Elder's explanation, the man realised that there was more to it than before.

Nodding, the Elder continued, "The Treka had a tremendous history, having dominated a large part of our world for many millennia. And, by overthrowing their rule in this part of the land, we gained our independence and started our development. But, the Bhumic Crystals and the Akashic Crystal in our Celestials had once been the Treka's. So, they are filled to the brim with Treka Qi. And, considering their history, the quantity of Treka Qi in each crystal is as vast."

"By absorbing them into their bodies, our Celestial Kings and Celestial Emperors have to resist erosion by the Treka Qi every day. And, this causes them enough pain that they regret every moment of their life to have become a Celestial." The Elder's voice trembled, "Moreover, the very land itself changes according to the governing race. Once you become a Celestial King, you are fixed to the land for life. And, this land is divided into territories that we call the states. As for the Celestial Emperor, he's fixed to our country and can never leave it."

"They are bound by it and have to deal with the erosion the land transmits to them. After all, this land too was once under the Treka." He sighed, speaking with a solemn tone, suffused with grief, "And, this erosion caused so much pain that the First Celestial Emperor suffered his death within two years of becoming one."